Rotary-engine.



J. D. KNEEDLER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY2,1914.

Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

IV] TNESSES J. D, KNEEDLER.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY2,1914.

Patented June 15, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1; TED STATES BATE v JOHN IDEAM KNEEDLEB,

norm? ENGINE.

' Specification of Letters Patent- Patented J 1111515, 1915.

Application filed Kay 2, 1914. Serial No. 835,874.

Be it knownthat 1, Joan DEAM KNnn- DLER, a citizen of the United States, reslding at Sioux City, in the county otWoodbury and State of Iowa, have invented c'er=- -tain new and useful Improvements in R0- tary Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to rotary engines and more particularly to that class of rotary engines known as the convertible type, and has for one of its objects the construction of a rotary engine which may be operated through the medium of explosive fuel, steam, compressed air or water.

' A further object of this invention resides in the construction of a rotary engine which may be operated through the medium of any of the well known elements for creating power and at the same time can be'used as an air compressor or water pump,-or by connecting the engine'to another engine my invention may be eliiciently used as an engine starter. I

A still further object of this invention is the nrovision of a rotary engine which is capable of being readily converted into a number of useful machines without the necessity of making any alterations therein.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of means for alternately drawing in a fuel charge, compressing the same and firing the charge at the pointof greatest compression whcn the engine is used as an explosive engine. And a still further object of the invention resides in the provision of means, ,for storing power and subsequently utilizing the same as a motive power for. starting the engine. And still another object of this invention-resides in the provision of means whereby a plurality of explosions are obtained at each revolution of the driving shaft thus greatly increasing the power of the engine;

These and other objects will more fully appear and the nature of the invention more clea r1 v understood by the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts thereof as described inthe following specification, defined in the appended claims and illustrated in in which,

-Figure 1 is a front view of the engine, with the front cover plate removed showing the relative mounting. of the working parts within the engine. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows showing the working parts in operative osition and the means for operating the same. For the sake of convenience and'clearness the invention will be described as an explosive engine, though it is to be understood that the same may be-also used as an air or steam engine, air compressor, pump or engine starter if so desired.

- the cylindrical casing 2 is formed the flanges 4, and in which flanges a and the bed lis the accompanying drawings,

formed a plurality of internally screw threaded apertures 5 for receiving the se-.

curing bolts of the front plate to the here:

inafter described. The rotor casing '2 is provided upon the top portion with the base 6 and at the right hand side thereof is formed the boss 7, through which and the wall of the. rotor casing 2 is formed the exhaust port 8, and screw threaded or otherwise connected to the boss 7 is the exhaust pipe 9'lor conveying the exhaust products which pass through the exhaust port 8 to any point of delivery.

At the lower left hand side of the rotor casing 2 and adjacent the bed 1 is formed the boss 10 through which and the rotor casing 2 is formed the outlet port 11, and c0nnected to the boss 10 in any suitable manner is the check valve 12 to which is secured the pipe 13 for conveying fluid which has been compressed in the lower part of the rotor casing '2 to a storage tank, (not shown), for storing the compressed fluid for subsequently utilizing the same as power, preferinn 34. The

l reduced as at connected in any desirable manner to either .s steam boiler (not shown) or to a compressed air reservoir (not shown), or to, both, if so desired, it being understood thatsuitable branch pipes and valves necessary for such connections may be used forsupplying steam or compressed air to the port 14 use; motive power for running the engine when it' is desired to convert the same into a steam engine or a compressed air'motor.

Arranged upon the base 3 of the rotor casing 2 is) a housing comprising the side walls 17 and the rear Wall 18, the lower edges of the walls 17 being provided with the laterally extending flanges 19 through which pass the retaining screw bolts 20 for securing the housing upon the base 6. The front ends of the side walls I? of the bone ing are provided with the internally screw threaded apertures 21 for the reception of the securing bolts of the front plate. The

housing is further provided with the top 22 secured to the side Walls 17 and the rear wall 18 by the screw bolts or other suitable fastening means 23, and formed upon the top 22 is the elongated hood 24 gr oviding a. fuel chamber '25, the hood 24 sing positinned approximately centrally of the top 22 but extendin from the rear to the front,

thereot,'and ormed upon the hood 24 is theboss 23 to which is connected the union 2? conneeted with the pipe 28, thepipe' 28;hav ing secured upon the opposite end the valve 29, the valve 29 having connected therewith the fuel supply pipe 36, which leads to'the carburetor (not shown), the fuel charge be ing drawn through the pipes 30 and 28 into the fuel chamber 25 by suction in a manner to be hereafter described.

The front of the rotor casing 2,.the housing arranged thereon and the fuel chamber 25 are all closed by the front plate. 31, the

plate 31 being of the exact configuration of the outlines of the rotor casing 2, the hous- 1 ing and the fuel chamber and secured thereto through the medium of the screw bolts 32 engaging the screw threaded apertures 5 and 21 of the casing and housing respectively. The front plate 31 is provided with the laterally extending lower arm 33 having arranged upon the end thereof the bear- 0 plate 31 is also provided with the laterally extending upper arm 35 provided with the bearing 36; V 1

Formed upon the .front plate 31 and arranged in eccentric relation to the rotor casing 2 is the bearing 37, and also arranged upon the rear plate 3 of the rotor casing 2 the bearing 38-being also arranged in eccentric relation tothe rotor casing 2 and cm-respondinzlv opnosite of theit'ront plate 31.

Within the rotor casing 2 is arranged the hub 39 of the rotor having one and slightly 40 and suitably journeledto the bearing 37 messes 1, the reduced end 41 of the hub 39 bi'Q' h jecting for a distance beyond the exterior surface of the front plate 31 and having arranged upon the end thereof-the gear wheel I 42,fixedly secured to thereduced end 41 through the medium of the screw bolt 43 w whereby the gear wheel 42 and the hub 39 of the rotor rotate in unison.

Extendin entirely'through the hub 39 p and the re uced end portionsflO'and 41 is A the driving shaft 44 provided with the key 45 for engaging the elongated groove 46 formed in the interior wall, of the bore of the hub 39, the groove 46 extending the en- 4 tire length of the hub 39 within the casing and the reduced. end portion 40 thereof, this 88 cdnstruction providing for the ready passage of the shaft 44-through the hub 39 of the rotor and allows the shaft 44 to be longitudinally slidable within the hub 39 but by the provision of the key 45 and the groove 46provides for the rotation of the shaft 44 b the rotor. The rotor is formed with the ollow cylinder 46 extending the full length of therotor'casin'g 2 and extend I ing'from the cylinder'46 radially to the hub '39 are the plates 47, these plates being arranged in pairs and spaced apart to provide the guide ways 48 therebetween the cylin der 46 being provided-with the-longitudinal opening corresponding -with the" Spaces forming the guide'way-48, and within each of the guide-ways 48 and between each or the pairs of the radial guide plates?!v are the piston blades 49," the blades43mins provided with thelcmgituulinal grooves 50 5 in the outer ends thereof and into-"which grooves are snugly seated the wear plates- 51. At each endof the 'pistonblads 49- adjacent the inner edge thereof arearranged the pins 52. The pins'af one end of the pi h 1 10 7 3 1and retained within the recess 55 through-17 .59 the medium of the sore bolts 56; the disk- 54 bein' provided with the peripheralj groove 5 into which is-seatcd the packing ring 58.

It is to be noted that the rotor'is om trically mounted relative to the rotor cnsin 2 and that the disk 54 is seated within the front plate- 31 concentric with the rotor;

but also eccentric relative to the rotor casing h m pr vides i 'li apropos the approximately crescent shape pressure chamber 59, and it is to be further'noted that the circular groove 52 formed in the rear plate 3 and thecirculargroove 53 formed in the disk 54 are arranged correspondingly opposite each other and concentric relative to the rotor casing 2 but eccentric relative to the hub 39 of the rotor and the driving shaft is whereby the pins at the ends ct the piston plates49 Cause the opposite side of the rotor chamber 2 and thus the wear plates 51 are held constantly in contact with the inner circular wail of the rotor casing 2 during the rotation of the rotor, the piston blades 49 receiving the pressure of the motive fluid within the pressure chamber 59 when the blades 49 are forced outwardly by the pins 52etraveling in the grom'es'oi and 53 respectively.

' \Vithi'n the inner wall of the rotor casing 2 opposite the pressure chamber 59 is ionized the arcuate cutout portion 60, the arc of'this cutout portion 60 being of :1 length equal to the radius of the rotor and I of a curvature equal to that of the circumference of the cylinder 46 of the rotor whereby-that portion of the cylinder 46 adacent the arcuate cutout portion 60 is designed to be snugly seated therein for preventing the fluid or pressure nlthin the pressure chamber 59 from passing around i the rotor, the rotor however, being positioned relative to the arcuate cutout portion 60 in a manner whereby the same may readily rotate therein. 1

Mounted within the housing arranged upon the base 6 of the rotor casing 2 is p the'cylinder 61 provided with the exterior side ribs (32, and also with the lower parallel .ribs 63 and the upper parallel ribs (34, the ribs 62 firmly engaging the'wallv 17 of'the housing, the ribs 63 firmly engaging the upper surface of the base 6, and the upper'ribs 6i engaging the top 22 of the housing and the space between the respectiveribs and the walls and top of the housing and the base 6 provides the water jackets 65. the ribs (5'2 being provided with the vertical channels 66 for establishing communication between the upper and lower waterijackets (35.

Formedin the base 6 or the rotor casing 2 are the ports 67 for communicating with the lower valve chamber (33 formed between the. lower parallel ribs 63 of the cylinder -BI. and formed in the bottom Wall of the cylinder t l are the ports 69 for establishing communication between the lower valve 95 projectingthrough the front plate 31 .and having arranged upon its fueo. end

chamber 68 and the cylinder 61, and arranged in the upper wall of the cylinder 61- are the ports 70 for establishing communication betweenthe cylinders 61 and the upper valve. chamber 71 formed between the upper parallel ribs 64 of the cylinder 61, and also formed in the top 22 and within the hood 24 are arranged the ports 72 for establishing communication between t the 1 through the rear wall 18 bf the housing and has arranged upon the extremity thereof the piston 76.; the piston 76 operated within the air compressorcylinder '77, the cylinder 77 being provided with the annular flange 73 through which flange passes the bolts 79 for securing the air compressor cylinder 7 77 upon the wall 18 of the housing. The air compressor cylinder 77 is provided with the valve housing 80 in which is seated the valve 81 for closing the inlet port 82 formed'in the valve housing, the.p0rt 82 being provided with the outer cap 83 which is manually operated through the medium of the handle 84. Arranged in one side of the compressor cylinder 77 is the outlet port 35 leading into the valve housing 86 provided with the valve 87 and-connected to the valve housing 86 is the discharge pipe 83 leadingto a compressed air reservoir (not shown).

For reciprocating the pistons 73 and 76, the piston rod 74'is pivotally connected as at 85.) to the link 90 connected to the crank ill offthe timing shaft 92 journaled in the bearings 34 and 36 of the arms 33 and 35 respectively of the front plate 31, and arranged adjacent the lower end of the shaft 92 is the bevel gear 93 for meshing with the gear 42 through which connections the shaft 92 is revolved.

dVithin the lower valve casing (i8 is the slide valve 94 provided with the valve rod the wearplate or button 96 for engaging the cam 94' arranged upon the shaft 9'2,

and also arra'nged within the upper valve casing 71 is the slide valve o'provided with the valve rod 99 proieeting through the front'platc 31 and having arranged upon the free end thereof the wear plate of button 100 for engat iutr the cam 101 also arranged upon the shaft 92. For maintaining the wear plate or button fiti of the valve i-od 93in constant engagement with the ram 97 is provided' -he compression spring 3 2 interposed between the front plate 31 and the wear plate 96 and for maintaining sion chamber 105 and 106 and arranged in the wall of the cylinde 61 and'one of the side ribs 62 is the spar plug 107 for the com ression chamber 105 and-also the spark plug 108 for the compression chamber 106, the spark plug 107 being connected in circuit by the wires 109 with the contacts 110 16 of the timing mechanism 111 arran ed upon the upper end of the timing shaf 92, the

spark plug 108 being also electrically connectedby the wires 112 with the contacts I 113 of the timing mechanism 111 the arm 20 35 being provided with the extension 114 for su porting the contacts 110 of the timing mechanism; however, the timing mech-. anism may be of any of the usual constructions now in use. When my engine is to be used as an ex? plosive engine, theengine is initially started by openingthe valve .15 for allow- 1 ing steam or compressed. air to pass through the port -14 into. the pressure chamber 59 for operating the piston blades 49 for rotating the rotor and the shaft 44 in the direction of the arrow and through the gear connections 42 and 93-thc shaft 92 is rotated in the direction of the arrow. This 86 movement of theshaft 92 operates the crank 91 and through theconnections of the pis ton rod 74 thepiston 73 is reciprocated with-' in the cylinder 61, the piston 73 performing the functions of drawing in a fresh 4!} supply of fuel at one side thereof, and com-' pressing the previousl drawn' supply of fuel at the opposite si e thereof during its movement in one or the other direction.-

7 Taking the position of the parts as shown v45 in Fig. 2 as an example ofthe first operation, it-will be conceded that a charge has been previously drawn: into the compression chamber 105 the same having been drawn in by the suction created by a former stroke of the piston 73 to the righ throu h the ports 70'and 72 from the fue cham er 25, and which charge was also drawn through the pipe 28 and 30 from the carbureter, the

valve 98 in this instance being. at the right of the valve-chamber 71, 'The fuel being now containedin. the compression chamber ,105 under compression, the left hand ports '69 and 67 being opened by the movement of the valve 94 to the right which at'this fl gnovement of the valve 'the" sparker 107 athrough itsjconnections with the timing mechanism explode; the fuel charge, the forceof which passes through the ports 69 y and 67 into ressure chamber 59 of the i6 rotor casing ereby exerting pressure against one ofthe piston blades 49 which has justpassed the port 67, the left hand ports 70 and 72-being closed by the left a movement of the valve 98 just prior to. the

explosion prevents the passageo'f the 8K to I ploslve charge from passing backward into the fuel chamber 25. 'There bein at this time afresh charge drawn'in t e compression chamber 106 through the right hand ports 70 and 72 from the fuel chamber'251i;

caused by the vacuum or suction created by the piston 73 in its movement to the left, the right hand ports 69 and67 being closed by therightvhand movement of the valve 94 and upon the next movement 'of the, pism 73 to the right, the fresh fuel charge in the compression chamber 106 is thereby compressed and exploded as in-the manner above described relating to the compression chamber 105, and the operation alternately and continuously-repeated during the running of the engine. Should-it be desired to also operate the engineas acompressor the cover plate is swung around by the handle '84 thereby opening the-port 82 to the atmos- 9o phere whereby the suction caused by the movement toward the left of the piston 76 will draw air within the cylinder 77 forc-" ing the valve 81 inwardly, the valve 87 -be ing closed and'uponmovemen'tof the piston 76 toward the rightthe valve 81 will necessarily close and the valve -87' will be moved outwardly whereby air will be forced outwardlythrough the port 85 and the pipe 88 to the compressed air reservoir or other suitable means for storing air. under pressure. Should it be desired to use this portion of the engine structure for a water pump instead ofan air compressor, it is only necessary to connect the port 82 with p a pipe leading to, a supply of water and pumping the water into the-cylinder 77 and forcing the water. outwardly through the discharge pipe 88 to a tank or any other means or point of use. Shodld it be desired also to usejrmy invention as an air, steam or water motor, the gear 42. is disconnected from the reduced portion. 41 of the rotor .hub 39 and brought out of engagement with the gear 93, the (pipe 16 being connectedin 116 any suitable an eflicient manner with a "compressed air reservoir, steam. boiler or hydraulic ressure, the valve 15 is then opened an in this instance the air, steam or water,- whichever is preferred, passes 120 through the port 14 into the pressure chamber 59 and, thus forces the piston blades 49, downwardly; within the pressure chamber 59 whereby-the rotor and the driving shaft. 44 are rotated. v Whether the engine is used asfan explosive engine, steam, air or water motor. there is always a certain portion of ii 'diinthe lower portion of the pressure her 59' in front ofthe piston blades 49. which is compmssed and forced oiitwardly through the port 11 pass the check valve 12 and con veyed by the pipe 13 to any suitable form of storage tank for storing a certain portion of the power'to .be subsequently untilized' in starting the engine.

I desire to here state that while have shown 4 piston blades whereby I may be enabled to obtain 4 explosions to each revolution of the driving shaft 44, this being further accomplished by the ratio of the gear wheels 42 and 93, in this instance the ratio being 4: to 2, I do not limit myself to this exact number of piston blades 49 or to the ratio of the gear wheels as a greater or less number of piston blades may be used to meet the exigencies of the case.

lVhile I have here shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention I hereby reserve the right to make such alterations and variations therein from time to time as I may deem expedient and which will neither depart from the spirit of the invention nor conflict with the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A rotary motor, comprising a bed, a rotor casing upon said bed, a rotor within said casing. a shaft extending through said rotor, an exhaust port for said casing, a base formed unon said casing, a housing arranged upon said base, a hood arranged upon said housing, a fuel chamber within said hood, fuel connections with said fuel chamber, a cylinder arrangedwithin said housing, a piston operated insaid cylinder, a compression chambergat each side of said piston, a valve chamber formed between said compression chambers and said rotor casing, ports establishing communication between said compression chambers and said rotor casing, and a valve within said valve chamber for controlling the admission of the fuel charge into said rotor casing.

2. A rotary motor, comprising a bed, a rotor casing upon said bed, a rotor within said casing, a shaft extending through said rotor, an exhaust port for said casing, a base formed upon said casing, a housing arranged upon said base, a hood arranged upon said housing, a fuel chamber within said hood, fuel connections with said fuel chamber, a cylinder arranged within said housing, a pistonoperated in said cylinder, a compres sion chamber at each side of said piston, a lower valve chainber formed between said compression chambers and said rotor casing, ports establishing communication between said compression chambers and said rotor casing, a valve within said valve chamber for COIltIOlhII the admission of the fuel charge into said rotor casing, a upper valve chamber formed between said fuel ch: aber and said compression chambers, ports for connecting said fuel chambers with said compression chambers, and a valve within,

said upper valve chamber for controlling the admission of fuel from said fuel chamber into said compress on chambers.

3. A rotary motor, comprising a bed, a

cylinder arranged within said housing, a

piston operated in said cylinder, a compression chamber at each side of said piston, a lower valve chamber formed between said compression chambers and said rotor casing, a valve within said valve chamber for controlling the admission to the fuel charge into said rotor casing, an upper valve chamber formed between said-fuel chamber and said compression chambers, ports for connecting said fuel chambers with said compression chambers, 21 valve within said upper valve chamber for controlling; the admission of fuel from said fuel chambers into said compression chambers, and means, For operating said pistons and said valves. a

4. A rotary motor, comprising a bed. a rotor casing upon said bed. a rotor within said casing. a shaft extending through said rotor, an exhaust port for said casing. a base formed upon said casing, a housing arranged-uponsaid base, a hood arranged upon said housing, a fuel chamber within said hood, fuel connections with said fuel chamber, a -cylinder arranged, within said housing, a piston operated in said cylinder. a compression chamber at each side of said piston, a lower valve chamber formed between said compression chambers and said rotor casing. a valve within said valve chamber for-controlling the admission of the fuel charge into said rotor casing, an upper valve chamber formed between said .fuel chamber and said compression chambers, ports for connecting said fuel chambers with said compression chambers, a valve within said upper valve chamber for controlling the admission of fuelfrom said fuel chamberinto said compression chambers, means for operating said pistons and said valves, and means for alternately exploding the fuel charge in the respective compression chambers at predetermined periods. I

5. A rotary motor, comprisinga bed. a rotor casing arranged upon said bed, a rotor within said casing, a shaft extending through said rotor and said casing, an exhaust port for said casing, fuel inlet ports for said casing, a housing arranged upon said casing, a cylinder within said housing, a lower valve chamber arranged between said cylinder and said rotor casingQa. valve chamber arranged between said cylinder and a fuel chamber, a piston oJerating within said cylinder, compression 0 ambers within said cylinder, a timing shaft arranged upon said motor, earing connections between the driving sha t end said timing shaft, valves operated within said valve chambers, and connections between said Liming shaft and .two sz bscribin witnesses.

J9 "I W Witnesses: v I

K swmzn' 

